When word spread through South Buffalo that Mazurek’s Bakery (543 South Park Ave., 853-7833) had changed hands, faithful customers worried that their favorite New York-style rye bread would disappear.

Carol Mazurek and her husband, Jack, who was literally born in the bakery, had set a standard of consistency over the decades. Even people who moved away from the neighborhood found themselves drawn back by the crispy-crusted rye bread, with copious caraway seeds, baked in the Mazureks’ old-fashioned brick oven.

New owner Ty Reynolds watched for weeks before the bakery officially changed hands in September, “so I could understand how the processes work,” he said. Even better, he hired a baker who had worked with the Mazureks for the last 15 years, aiming for a smooth transition.

So far, the work has paid off, and fans of the Mazurek rye report satisfaction after their weekly trips to pick up their loaves. Lots of others pick up some sweets, too, like the cheesecake built on farmer’s cheese, and stollen, like large Danish pastries filled with fruit or almond.

“The reason it’s different is our 20-by-30-foot brick oven,” Reynolds said. “It’s baked on stone and has steam introduced, which gives it a crackly crust that people love.”

If you’re interested, the New York rye comes out of the oven around 8:45 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. It’s available in one- and two-pound sizes ($3.10, $5.25). If you want it sliced, Reynolds notes, it’s best to come after 10 a.m. The loaves need a chance to cool down.